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The Sound of Ideas: Archive by Date

January 2012

Help us ring in 2012 by making fun of 2011 with the Capitol Steps and our annual year-in-review awards ceremony called "Politics Takes a Holiday!" This year will feature all new awards, such as: Biggest Clueless Middle Eastern Dictator Who Thought 'Arab Spring' Was Just a Trending Fashion; Best Not Just Any Committee But a SUPER Committee; Most GOP Debates Ever Held Ever; and Worst Place to Hide Your Mistress While Serving as Governor of California.

In fours years at the helm, president Barbara Snyder has put once-troubled Case Western Reserve University back on course. She's the highest paid among Ohio's private college presidents and those who've worked with her say she's earned every dime. We'll find out how she mended the fences and what challenges lie ahead. Join host Mike Mcintyre for a conversation with Case Western president Barbara Snyder Tuesday at 9:00 on 90.3.

The process of natural gas extraction commonly known has fracking has been a boon for the steel pipe industry and those with land to lease. But the wastewater byproduct from fracking -- disposed of through injection into underground wells -- is causing environmental fears. After several recent minor earthquakes near a Youngstown-area well, Ohio has suspended injections, which included wastewater shipped in from Pennsylvania. We'll revisit the fracking debate, Wednesday at 9.

Long hours, squeezed budgets and thousands of demanding bosses: Being mayor of any town isn't easy. Join us as we talk with new mayors from Northeast Ohio communities. What motivated them to run and, now that they're in office, how will they keep residents happy? We'll ask about their plan for filling potholes and filling the city's coffers. Local mayors, Thursday morning at 9:00 on The Sound of Ideas.

Lawyers are picking the jury in the Jimmy Dimora corruption trial. Prosecutors plan to take aim at the prime target of a the years long federal probe into public graft. If you bet on the Horseshoe Cleveland Casino opening as planned in March, you lose. There's a new snag. And President Obama visits Shaker Heights to announce an end-around to make Richard Cordray the country's top consumer watchdog. It's all fodder for the weekly news roundtable. Join us, Friday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

It seems every few years, we hear about something that used to be bad for us that turns out to be good. Or something that was thought to be good turns out to be bad. Antioxidants were all the rage a while back, protecting us against cancer and other diseases. Now, after all those vitamin supplements and bowl after bowl of blueberries, scientists wonder if antioxidants do more harm than good. Join us as we look at the science of antioxidants, Monday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

After years of investigation, wire taps, plea deals, and prison sentences, the federal probe into corruption in Cuyahoga County reaches a pinnacle this week. Former commissioner Jimmy Dimora, who also served as Democratic Party boss, will stand trial on charges he orchestrated a criminal conspiracy fueled by bribes and kickbacks. On the next Sound of Ideas, look at the judge, the jury and friendship defense strategy Dimora is expected to use. Join us Tuesday morning at 9:00.

President Obama appointed Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray last week to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This agency will give payday lenders, shady mortgage brokers and abusive debt collectors a lot more scrutiny. Republicans still insist the President has no authority to make the appointment and say the agency lacks accountability. We'll discuss the appointment, bureau's mission and the ongoing partisan political battle, Wednesday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

Severe recession has had a chilling effect on the work of foundations and non-profit organizations. It's eroded their endowments and revised their missions.
We'll talk about the work of local organizations and how they've coped with challenging times.

Cuyahoga County tells some workers they've been overcompensated for too long - and it ends now... Nearly 100 people will 'keep' their jobs, but at vastly reduced salaries. The cuts come as those workers' former boss and Commissioner Jimmy Dimora goes to trial seeking to clear his name on federal corruption charges. We'll recount the first day in court. Incinerator Wars are breaking out in Cleveland and what's safe according to area residents may not be the same as what experts say..
Those and other stories on the reporter's roundtable, Friday, on The Sound of Ideas...

As schools wrestle with how to teach students and measure their success with mandated standardized tests, some have seek a different path: Written exams. Student-led discussions. A global perspective .The Geneva-based International Baccalaureate program seeks to teach students not just what they need to know, but how to think and learn. Several local schools are converts. Is it a better approach? Monday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

A new study says a dangerous lack of roadway laws in Ohio is costing the state lives and millions of dollars in lost productivity, medical and unemployment expenses. But driving in Ohio has never been safer. Slightly more than a thousand people died in traffic accidents in 2011 -- the lowest number on record. Given that, do we really need tougher traffic laws? Join the debate Tuesday at 9:00 on The Sound of Ideas.

The Penn State sex abuse scandal raises as many questions as allegations against Jerry Sandusky. How could someone commit such heinous crimes against children? How did it go on for so long? And why did no one pay heed to an eyewitness? They tried to answer those questions this week at Cleveland State University, where coaches were trained on how to spot and deal with child abusers. We'll look at that and other efforts to protect kids from abuse, Wednesday at 9 on The Sound of Ideas.

A concussion is a serious medical issue not just for NFL players like the Browns Colt McCoy, but for anyone whose work or recreation puts them at risk for head injury, including student athletes .We'll explain the science behind concussions, the signs and symptoms, the appropriate treatment and the best ways to protect against traumatic brain injury.

ODOT says no. No upgrades. No expansion. No money. Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Akron, Wellington - all will be affected. And polls are the week's other focus... fracking, GOP candidates, abortion. These stories and more the Friday reporter's roundtable. Join us at 9 on 90.3.

Ohio's roads aren't paved with gold, but they are expensive to build and maintain. And transportation dollars are growing more scarce. State transportation officials say that means some of Ohio's largest planned construction projects will be pushed back by decades. The response from communities across the state resembles road rage. We'll find out why and whether there’s an alternate route to get the projects back on track, Monday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

Pain is the single most common reason for seeking medical care in the United States. And we're not talking about a little boo-boo. Thirty five percent of Americans suffer chronic pain and more than 50 million are disabled by their pain. And up to half of patients say they fail to get adequate pain relief. On the next Sound of Ideas, we'll discuss pain, how it is managed and how some patients are managed by it.

There are hundreds of children in Northeast Ohio in need of a family and thousands around the world. And there are many families seeking to adopt children. On the next Sound of Ideas, we'll look at the state of adoption in our region and we'll examine the process for those who pursue international adoption. We'll also meet with a Medina family that doubled in size on Christmas day with the adoption of six siblings from the Phillipines. Wednesday at 9 on 90.3.

Originally broadcast Oct. 12, 2011. Singer Todd Rundgren's response to having a jerk for a boss - as he famously sang - was to bang on his drum all day. Many people though, bang on the keyboard instead, posting their gripes on Facebook or dashing off tweets about office twits. We'll discuss the intersection of social media and work. What control do employers have over what you say? And how careful are you about your own on-line persona?

A $100 million fund to build business and create jobs 'finally' gets up and running. While some regional power stations are about to close for good - potentially throwing hundreds of other people... out of work. This week on the reporter's roundtable, it's the implications of First Energy clearing the air of three coal-fired area plants. Jobs will be lost, and tax bases impacted. There's also concern over the takeover of the liquor business by JobsOhio ...on Cuyahoga County's sin tax. We'll crack the seal on those stories and others - Friday morning on 90.3.

When does a person become a person? Abortion opponents who say personhood begins with the fertilization of a human egg are pushing to force a Novermber vote to amend the state constitution. Fertilized human eggs would get legal status. What effect would that have on abortion, contraception and in-vitro fertilization? And what are its chances of passage given that similar measures failed in Mississippi and Colorado? Join the discussion Monday at 9 on the Sound of Ideas.

U.S. Navy Seals last week performed a daring rescue of two hostages, one an American woman, captured by Somali pirates. The international response to piracy in that part of the world has been uneven. On the next Sound of Ideas, we'll meet two Northeast Ohio lawyers working with authorities in the Seychelle Islands to seek justice. Why does piracy flourish and what is the recourse? And we'll look back to a time to when piracy was a problem on the Great Lakes, too.

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Every weekday at 9:00 AM (EST), The Sound of Ideas reports the news, explains the news, and sometimes makes news. The Cleveland Press Club awarded it “Best Radio Show” in Ohio and thousands daily find it to be an indispensable source of information about what’s most important to Northeast Ohioans.

ideastream® is a not-for-profit multiple-media public service organization serving the communities of Northeast Ohio and based in Cleveland, Ohio. ideastream’s mission is to strengthen our communities.